Pilots are responsible for quickly viewing and comprehending information that generally falls into two categories. The first category of information is flight data, which provides flight path information. The majority of flight data is organized in “information layers” (e.g., flight path information, Navigational Aids (NAVAID), airspace information, terrain information, weather information, traffic information, and the like). These information layers are combined to provide a unified graphical display of flight path data (hereinafter this unified display is referred to as a “navigation display”) on the aircraft display system. The second category of information is chart data that includes procedural information generally derived from paper charts and documents. The current navigation display does not include information provided by chart data, and in some cases, the chart data is still in paper form. In other cases, the chart data has been scanned and is digitally displayed on a separate aircraft display unit (hereinafter the scanned and visually displayed chart data is referred to as “digital instrument charts”).
These two categories of information are obtained in different pilot preflight preparation steps. Initially, pilots interact with aircraft systems by entering a flight plan (e.g., departure and destination airports), and a phase of flight. Pilots brief each other on the departure or arrival procedures. Examples of phase of flight include departure, enroute, arrival, holds, approach, missed approach, landing/taxi, or the like. In response to the pilot entered information, a flight management system (FMS) provides associated flight path navigation data retrieved from one or more databases. Next, the pilot identifies and enters into the aircraft system the relevant flight procedures. Examples of common flight procedures include: instrument approach procedures (IAP), departure procedures (DP), standard terminal arrival procedures (STAR), charted visual flight procedures (CVFP), airport diagram procedures (AD) and the like.
Each procedure includes a set of elements, which are generally detailed instructions. For example, instrument approach procedures provide instrument flight descent instructions for an enroute environment to land safely at an airfield; departure procedures provide a simplified method of departing an airport while providing a means to move air traffic efficiently, safely and quickly out of the congested airspace associated with airports; departure procedures that may also provide obstacle avoidance guidance and the ability to take off in reduced visibility; and airport diagram procedures that provide a structured means to maneuver around a busy airport surface environment.
As mentioned, the procedural information is often derived from paper charts. Paper charts can be very complex, often having a large amount of information compressed into a small space. The compression of information may reduce the font to an unreadable size. When paper charts are scanned and displayed on an aircraft display the pilot may be able to alleviate some viewing issues by zooming in and out; however, the pilot is unable to prioritize or filter the displayed information. Regardless, digital instrument charts introduce an additional aircraft display unit, often causing pilots to have to switch their focus back and forth between the digital instrument chart and a navigation display, increasing their cognitive workload. Furthermore, a direct combination of chart data and flight data would provide an amount of information that is too excessive to display on a single display, in an intuitive and readily comprehensible manner.
A cluttered display is defined as one that presents an excessive number or variety of symbols, colors, and/or other unnecessary information and, depending on the situation, in a way that may interfere with the flight task or operation (FAA AC 25-11A Electronic Flight Deck Displays). When the display is cluttered, the head down time and cognitive workload of the pilot or crew increases. In addition to resolving clutter issues, pilots may wish to customize and simplify the aircraft display with additional techniques, such as controlling the location and orientation of specific notes and labels, changing font size, removing arrowheads from pointers, and the like.
Considering the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a pilot centered system and method for (1) decluttering aircraft displays that is capable of blending, based on pilot preferences, flight data and chart data into a modified combination and (2) displaying the modified combination on a singular aircraft display, thus providing a single, blended display for the pilot to scan and acquire all of the necessary information needed to execute relevant procedures (hereinafter the desired pilot centered system is referred to as a “decluttering system”). It is also desirable to provide a decluttering system that responds to pilot preferences for controlling the location and orientation of specific notes and labels, changing font size, and removing arrowheads from pointers. The desired decluttering system minimizes cognitive workload.